


One of Us

by summer_of_1985



Series: You are the fond object of my affection and my desire [5]
Category: Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst Train, Based on an ABBA Song, F/M, Not really a fluff fic, One of Us song, That cufflinks scene, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:21:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,359
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22776328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summer_of_1985/pseuds/summer_of_1985
Summary: Based on ABBA song"One of Us", was originally angst with a happy ending Shirbert fic, but turned into this somehow...
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley, Marilla Cuthbert & Matthew Cuthbert & Anne Shirley
Series: You are the fond object of my affection and my desire [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1611820
Comments: 2
Kudos: 43





	One of Us

_They passed me by, all of those great romances_   
_You were, I felt, robbing me of my rightful chances_   
_My picture clear, everything seemed so easy_

* * *

Gilbert held his head in his hands, his elbows resting on the table. Mary would berate him for putting his elbows on the table, it made his heartache, he'd always miss her.

The thought of losing Anne forever broke his heart, he'd never see the world the same if he lost her from his life. But if he moved to Paris and married Winifred Rose, his friendship with Anne would be over...

Now that he thought about it, he didn't get an answer from Anne when he asked her if she had feelings for him.

Even if she didn't, there was no way that he would be able to go into an unhappy marriage. He'd rather be an unwed bachelor (similar to blessed Matthew Cuthbert), than in a loveless marriage. Sure, he could come to love Winnie, but it wouldn't be of the same volume that he loves and adores Anne.

Now, Anne was going to Queen's, moving to the city of Charlottetown. If Anne felt the same for him, then he didn't care if they were in a long-distance relationship (as he would be attending the University of Toronto when the end of summer arrived). At least he knew that Anne was his. His Anne-girl.

* * *

_My picture clear_   
_Everything seemed so easy_   
_And so I dealt you the blow_   
_One of us had to go_   
_Now it's different, I want you to know_

* * *

Anne has put the tart shells into the oven to bake, a peace offering for Diana. She refused to part ways from her bosom friend so awfully.

Just the look on Diana's face, when she threw her half of the heart locket to the ground and ran away in tears.

Even thinking about it now, brought tears to Anne's eyes. Anne now wished she was a better friend.

Gilbert came in, after knocking on the wood of the screen door. Made some stupid comment about her cutting onions, and wanting to borrow cufflinks from Matthew.

The man in question walked in with his prize radish and some fabric over his arm for Marilla.

"I'll take the fabric to Marilla, and Gilbert wants cufflinks," Anne said, only just holding in her tears.

Gilbert was proposing to the blonde woman she saw on his arm at the Country Fair.

Since she realised her feelings for the young man, she only wanted what was best for him - even if that meant she would be miserable for the rest of her life. Gilbert's happiness was all that mattered. If that blonde city woman was it, then so be it.

* * *

 _One of us is crying, one of us is lying  
In a lonely bed  
Staring at the ceiling  
_ _Wishing she was somewhere else instead  
_ _One of us is lonely, one of us feels lonely  
_ _Waiting for a call  
_ _Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small  
_ _Wishing she had never left at all_

* * *

Anne handed over the fabric to Marilla as she passed the woman at the top of the stairs. The velvet-like blue fabric was the last thing that Marilla needed to make Anne a new dress.

"Anne, are you alright?" She asks, gently resting a hand on her adoptive daughter's shoulder. Anne gave a stiff nod and headed to her room to finish packing for later this week.

Marilla sighed, remembering what she was like after her brother died and had to turn down John. When she got downstairs, she saw Matthew handing cufflinks over to Gilbert - and she now knew why Anne was in the 'depths of despair'.

She'd heard Anne's exclamation of love for the growing boy, and felt her heartbreak for Anne when Gilbert stepped out with a full-grown lady. If John (or even Mary) was still here, he'd've probably have smacked Gilbert up the back of his head by now.

* * *

_I saw myself  
As a concealed attraction,  
I felt you kept me away,  
From the heat and the action.  
Just like a child  
Stubborn and misconceiving,  
That's how I started to show  
One of us had to go.  
Now I'm changed and I want you to know._

* * *

Anne was putting some of her books into her suitcase, as she took out the dress that Marilla had made for her and left it hanging on her wardrobe door. The base of her dress was complete, and with the remaining fabric, Marilla would have it complete in time for her to go to Charlottetown.

As she's packing her things, the hand-drawing of her and Diana is between her fingertips. This caused more tears to run down Anne's cheeks and made her collapse into heavy sobs and gasping breaths.

She missed sitting on her bed and collapsed to the floor in a sobbing heap - similar to the way she'd collapsed in front of Marilla when she first came to Green Gables.

* * *

 _One of us is crying, one of us is lying  
_ _In a lonely bed  
_ _Staring at the ceiling  
_ _Wishing she was somewhere else instead  
_ _One of us is lonely, one of us feels lonely  
_ _Waiting for a call  
_ _Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small  
_ _Wishing she had never left at all_

* * *

It's no surprise that a loud thud from upstairs had sent Matthew rushing as fast as he possibly could. The thought of an injured Anne swimming around his head.

Gilbert was rushing after the man, worried over Anne. It was little things like this, where he knew that he would never truly be able to go through with marrying Winnie. He can care for Winnie, but it is not in the way that he cares for Anne.

But the first person to rush into Anne's room was Marilla, seeing the sobbing girl on the floor brought the memories back when Anne first came here as a skinny and hopeful girl.

"Anne," Marilla sighed, easing her way onto the floor and wrapped her arms around the girl. Anne started to curl up into a ball and leaned against Marilla.

Matthew silently went over to the other side of Anne and gently wrapped his arm around Anne, as he quietly handed over the handkerchief that had been in his pocket. It was slightly mucky from fixing one of the cart's wheel, but Anne still took it and wiped away the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

Gilbert stood in the doorway to Anne's room. There was a white dress hanging on her wardrobe (he could easily imagine Anne in a white dress, he'd be happy for her, no matter who she marries), there was a cushion sat on her bed _'Anne of Green Gables'_ embroidered on it. Strings of dried flowers and plants hanging by her chest of drawers, a half-packed suitcase of books sat on her bed. He also saw the dictionary that he had gotten her the first Christmas he came back.

By her feet was a slightly broken picture frame, in it was a sketch of Diana and Anne on a happier day. He wondered what on earth had happened between the two that caused Anne to be sobbing on the floor, heartbreaking sobs leaving her that utterly crushed his heart.

* * *

_Never left at all.  
Staring at the ceiling  
Wishing she was somewhere else instead.  
One of us is lonely, one of us feels lonely,  
Waiting for a call,  
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small._

* * *

Anne sat up, wiping away the tears, rubbing her runny nose. Matthew was gently rubbing her back, as Marilla motherly stroked the braids hanging over Anne's shoulders. 

Gilbert felt like he was intruding on a private moment with Anne and her adoptive parents.

He fiddled with his fingers, watching as Anne calms down and wipes away the remaining tears from her cheeks. The cufflinks in his pocket that he is borrowing from Matthew feel like there are millions of bricks in his pocket, weighing him down. 

How on earth could he ever think that he could move on from Anne? How? He'd rather be a bachelor than in a loveless/unhappy marriage.


End file.
